When All Else Fails
by plazmah
Summary: Bones & Firefly crossover. Dr. Temperance Brennan has been the captain of Liberty for two years. She and her crew work outside the Alliance's jurisdiction, privately solving crimes and hoping to find the answers each of them needs.
1. Chapter 1

Title: When All Else Fails (1/?)  
Author: smithar  
Rating: G  
Fandom(s): Bones/Firefly  
Pairing(s): None so far, Brennan/Booth & Jack/Angela in the future.  
Summary: Dr. Temperance Brennan has been the captain of _Liberty_ for two years. She and her crew work outside the Alliance's jurisdiction, privately solving crimes and hoping to find the answers each of them needs. Life isn't easy, but it never lacks in excitement either.  
Notes: My knowledge of the Firefly universe is spotty at best, so please bear with me. I don't own anything Bones or Firefly related. Unbetaed.

---------------------------

Dr. Daniel Goodman was relieved when he spied the Vienna-class ship dropping out of the sky and heading into the docking bay. New Melbourne had never agreed with him, and for all his trepidation, he wanted nothing more than to leave the planet's stale smell of fish behind him... and to leave everything else behind him, really. A fresh start was exactly what he needed, to take his mind over the the hardships of the past two years.

With a loud hiss and some painful grating noises, the ship settled to the ground. This Vienna-class ship was an older model, but even he could tell from the gleam of the hull and the thrum of the engines that a lot of effort and care had been put into ensuring the vessel's peak performance. There was a whirring noise and a wide boarding ramp lowered from the side of the ship. His smile was bittersweet as a woman walked down the ramp to greet him, hair tied back and dressed to fly through space. Two years had passed since he had seen her last and he could tell that she had changed greatly. Intelligence had always been her strong suit, but there was a certain shrewdness in her eyes now, the kind that came from learning to become wise in the treacherous ways of the outer worlds.

"It's good to see you, Dr. Goodman." She said, hugging him briefly. "I'm so sorry about all of this."

"You have absolutely nothing to be sorry about, Temperance. The Alliance considered me a threat even after your departure, because I believed that we were doing the right thing and fought for your reinstatement." He sighed. "Seems I underestimated just how desperate the government was to discredit us. But I'll survive."

Temperance crossed her arms, still looking downcast at the entire matter. "But what about your family? You reckon they'll be safe?"

Goodman quirked an eyebrow when he noticed that Temperance had picked up some Border slang since leaving Londinium. But now was not the time to bring attention to it. "Safer than they would be while in my company. You and I both know what kind of enemies we made within the Alliance. But it had to be done. My wife and the girls will be more than safe staying with my parents on Sihnon. Still, it hurt to leave them behind..."

He tried to push the pain of the separation away, but he found it difficult to keep the hurt from reaching his eyes. He was surprised when Brennan squeezed his arm reassuringly. It was the sort of gesture that the old Dr. Brennan would not have thought of. He wondered if he would be thinking of his former colleague in terms of 'new' and 'old' from now on.

"If y'all are done with your tragically touching moment, we best be leaving this place. Next project's a'waiting, Captain." Goodman was startled to see a broad-shouldered man standing at the top of the ramp, leaning against the bulkhead with a skeptical look on his face. He didn't look like a scientist. The automatic pistol hanging on his belt was the first giveaway. Then again, Temperance carried a weapon of her own now. But the man was dressed in a way that vaguely reminded him of an Alliance officer.

Temperance rolled her eyes in annoyance, turning to the man behind her. "How many times have I told you: don't call me Captain. I am a doctor, first and foremost."

"Sure..." The man marched down the ramp and placed himself squarely between Temperance and Goodman, dropping into her personal space. "... A guns a'blazing doctor who slices up slimy corpses and gets herself into more trouble than warranted out in the black. We're lucky we got out of that last case alive." He glanced back at Goodman meaningfully. "Not to scare you or any such, Doctor."

Goodman resisted the urge to laugh; he knew alpha male protectiveness when he saw it. "I assure you, the good Captain has kept me informed to all the potential hazards I face by coming onto your vessel. But I have known her to be intelligent and dedicated to her work and the people she associates with."

The man turned and stared at Goodman a moment longer, then held out his hand. "Well then, welcome aboard the _Liberty_. Name's Seeley Booth, and I'd be the only person with a lick of common sense on this here fair ship."

"That is not true." Temperance argued stubbornly, hands on hips and looking unimpressed. "Who got us that break with the Taxcom job two months back?"

"Firstly, it was Angela, not you. And secondly, that wasn't common sense, that was using feminine tricks against that useless clod of a judge."

"She wouldn't have thought of it if I hadn't found out he was having an affair."

Goodman interjected. "If I may interrupt, I was wondering if I could meet the rest of the crew, perhaps say hello to Miss Montenegro?" He was unsure of how to deal with the quarreling shipmates. He could sense a strange mixture of hostility and affection between the two of them, making him suspect that his experience with administration would come in handy in the future.

"Of course, follow me." Temperance strode ahead, leading the way while Seeley hung back with Goodman.

"So?" He whispered to the darker man conspiratorially. "Was she just as stubborn and single-minded when she was working for you back on Londinium?"

Goodman smiled sadly, dragging his trunk behind him. "Yes. And not a moment goes by where I'm not thankful for it."

---

"Well, you've already met the brawns of our operation." Temperance quipped, tossing an annoyed glance in Seeley's direction as they made their way to the cockpit. "Seeley's a former soldier of the Alliance."

"I wasn't your average Purplebelly." Seeley explained solemnly, slipping into a more refined Core manner of speaking. "I was a distinguished member of the Alliance Special Forces, honoured for marksmanship during the Unification War. It takes more than just brawns to be awarded something so prestigious."

"Why aren't you with the Alliance anymore?" Goodman asked, curious.

A dark look crossed Seeley's face before being replaced by his regular nonchalant attitude. "That's a story for another day, Doctor."

Temperance continued unheeded. "And just for the record, even though I'm the captain of _Liberty_, I don't like the title."

"C'mon, Captain." Seeley said mischievously. "Aren't you even the least bit proud of having a ship of your own? You deny _Liberty _the joy of ownership and she might just turn her back on you."

They entered the cockpit at that moment and Goodman saw a bearded man with a head of curly hair sitting in the pilot's seat, meticulously fiddling with the dials. "I've been flying _Liberty _for over two years now and we haven't been shot down yet. No need to get your knickers in a knot."

"You mention my knickers again and someone's gonna be shot down for sure." Seeley retorted, clearly non-threatening.

Temperance ignored the banter. "Dr. Goodman, Jack here's the pilot of the _Liberty_, and has proven himself to be of the utmost capability and resourcefulness."

"Please, Temperance, you're making my head all swollen-like." Jack replied with a smile, twisting in his chair to shake Goodman's hand. "I also happen to be an admirer of rare and precious artifacts. Comes in handy every now and then, depending on the job."

The intercom on the face of the cockpit crackled to life with a woman's tinny voice. "Y'all get your behinds down here if you're pining for a warm meal."

Jack jumped out of his seat, rubbing his hands together eagerly and sliding past everyone out the cockpit. "Roast sturgeon a'plenty, here I come!" Seeley bounded after him, growling something that sounded like _'No rutting way he's getting the best cut...'_.

Temperance sighed, looking amused. "This place is a bughouse majority of the time, not at all like at when we worked together. Best be getting used to it sooner than later. I suggest we head down to the lounge. If everyone's eating, it'll give you a chance to meet the rest of the crew all at once."

Goodman nodded, following Temperance again. "You have a lounge? Very impressive for a freighter. Were the modifications costly?"

Temperance's eyes sparkled with pride. "When we get to the lounge, you can ask the modifier himself."

---

"I must admit, I never knew that a Vienna could be modified this way." Goodman murmured, turning in a circle and examining his surroundings.

A young man with floppy brown hair was scooping out slices of fish onto plates for everyone, while Jack and Seeley jostled for the best cut. "Turning a cargo ship into a flying lab ain't so difficult, once you got the right tools and a goal in mind."

"And the credits. Can't be forgetting them." Added a slim woman with dark hair who was pouring water into an assortment of cups.

"Goodman, I'd like you to meet Zack Addy and Camille Saroyan. Zack's the mechanic for _Liberty_-"

"-Technically, I'm an engineer with practical applied knowledge."

"-And Cam's our medic, patches up our patients-

"-Or any of us." Seeley muttered as he sat and devoured his food.

"-Nice and good. Everyone, this is Dr. Daniel Goodman, my former boss that I was telling you about. He'll be joining us on _Liberty _for the time being."

"Another vigilante scientist for _Liberty_'s vigilante science squadron..." Seeley muttered again, earning an eye roll from Temperance.

"Come on now, Seeley. Scientists aren't all that bad." Cam said with a smile, leaning against the wall. Goodman noticed that she was the only other member of the crew (aside from Temperance and Seeley) who was carrying an weapon.

Jack looked up from his plate with a sudden realization. "Wait a tic, you made introductions without Angela here."

"Not a problem." Goodman reassured. "Miss Montenegro is an old friend of Dr. Brennan's, and I've already had the pleasure of meeting her on occasion. Where might I find her?"

"Her quarters, I reckon." Jack said, chewing on his food. "She can't stand the smell of fish. Makes sense, with her line of work and all."

"Smart woman." Goodman said, feeling a little overwhelmed by the smell of the lounge. "I think I'll pay her a visit."

---

It was ingenious, he had to admit. One of the escape pods for the Liberty had been modified to accommodate small, live-able shuttle instead, perfect for the privacy and freedom needed for a Companion. The arrangement was a strange one, to say the least. Standing outside the door to Goodman was compelled to ask Temperance about it.

"Two years ago, when I first told Angela about my plan, she volunteered to join the crew. It was a way for her to meet with a multitude of clients, and a part of the money she made would go to me for renting out the space." Temperance shook her head. "I thought it was a strange arrangement too. But she said that a friend of hers, another Companion, had found such an arrangement to be greatly profitable for both parties. So I went with her instincts. She's much better at that sort of thing than I am."

Temperance didn't even knock on the worn metal door, but simply turned the handle and walked in. Goodman followed her, slightly nervous. Angela was an acquaintance of his, but he had never been inside the Companion's place of residence. And Angela's mobile quarters were distinctly Companion-like, shimmering gold and sapphire fabrics hanging from ceiling to floor, red and white carpeting around her bed, and rich, black furniture accenting the room. It seemed a lot larger than he knew it really was.

Angela was standing in front of a small dresser, dressed in crushed velvet of indigo and black and brushing her hair with practiced grace. She caught sight of them in the reflection or her mirror and turned with a pleased smile.

"Daniel, it's good to see you again." Her voice was even as she hugged him, but there was an undercurrent of excitement that put him at ease. "I trust your refined demeanour will add that little touch of class that _Liberty _sorely needs?"

"I will most certainly do my best." Goodman said with a genuine smile.

"You two catch up, I'm going to grab some of that fish before it's all gone." Brennan said, backing towards the door.

Angela looked at her with mock-indignation. "Fine, but once you do, I won't let you come visit me."

Temperance's face was blank. "Why not? That's hardly fair."

Goodman tried not to laugh when Angela gave one of her familiar, long-suffering sighs. "_Mei-mei_, I'm just teasing you."

"Oh. Right. Bye, then." Temperance said, walking out abruptly and leaving Goodman and Angela in stitches.

"She hasn't changed as much as I thought she had." Goodman mused after the laughter passed, staring at the door where their reluctant captain had departed from.

"No, she's still the Dr. Brennan you and I remember." Angela said, carefully sitting down on her bed. "Passionate about her work, about the truth, about finding answers... none of that has changed. And she's still as bull-headed as ever. But in some ways..." She trailed off, staring at the incense that burned on her desk.

"Life has not been easy for her." Goodman nodded. "I can tell, perhaps due to the fact that I hadn't seen her in so long."

"We've had some close calls in the past six months. We're taking jobs that would bring in more money, but those high profile cases always catches the attention of the Alliance. But then again, Temperance was always a bit of an courageous adventurer." Angela paused thoughtfully. "What exactly _is _it that you and Temperance discovered on Londinium? She hasn't told me much of the details, only that it got her discredited and fired. She's always been a firm believer in facts and evidence, so I'm guessing that she stumbled across some kind of devious Alliance conspiracy."

Goodman stood up straighter, alarmed by her hypothesis. "I think it would be best if you were as clueless to the matter as possible. No good can come from knowing what we know. We've already lost so much."

Angela stared at him thoughtfully, then nodded. "I understand. Your family... I'm so sorry. Will they be taken care of?"

"They are safe and secure, and that is the best for all of us for now. Although, I do hope that through our travels, I will find some information that will help restore myself and Temperance's former statuses."

"Join the club, Daniel." Angela chuckled. "I'm going to let you in on a little secret; everyone on this ship has their own agenda. Everyone." She winked. "Makes for some very interesting interactions."

-------------TBC-------------


	2. Chapter 2

Title: When All Else Fails (2/?)  
Author: smitha-r  
Rating: G  
Fandom(s): Bones/Firefly  
Pairing(s): None so far, Brennan/Booth & Jack/Angela in the future. Maybe. Depends on what my muse thinks.  
Summary: Dr. Temperance Brennan has been the captain of _Liberty_ for two years. She and her crew work outside the Alliance's jurisdiction, privately solving crimes and hoping to find the answers each of them needs. Life isn't easy, but it never lacks in excitement either.  
Notes: My knowledge of the Firefly universe is spotty at best, so please bear with me. I don't own anything Bones or Firefly related. Thanks to wiccagirl24 for the beta.

---------------------------

Zack stood in the lounge, scrubbing at the last of the dishes. Kitchen duty always fell on him, somehow. He figured it had something to do with being the youngest member of the crew. Age was an illogical rationale for creating a pecking order. Besides, Dr. Brennan was younger than Seeley and managed to boss him around just fine. Maybe it was intelligence that determined the pecking order? No, that didn't work either, otherwise _he'd_ be Dr. Brennan's first mate.

"Dish duty once again, huh?" Jack walked in, laughing at Zack as he poured himself a cup of stale water.

"I'm _always _on dish duty; never seen anyone else clean them up. If I get stuck with the dishes one more time, I'll stop spending my credits on premium coolant for the engine."

Jack laughed again, just before grimacing at the taste of the water. "Ain't a chance of that happening; you love this ship far too dearly to treat it less than a princess."

Zack was about to reply when the sound of arguing echoed from the ventilation system. The two of them fell quiet, realizing that Dr. Brennan and Seeley were fighting. Again.

"I'm only sayin' that if he gets himself in trouble, ain't no one to blame but you." Seeley muttered.

"He is not the sort of man that gets into trouble, Seeley." Temperance countered, her voice rising. "Yes, I take full responsibility for his presence on the ship. But he's a dear friend. He lost everything for standing up for me. Least I can do is give him a place to be safe."

There was silence for a moment, then Seeley spoke with a edge in his voice. "You only want him aboard so that you can get help exposing whatever got you tossed from your fancy Alliance research academy. You're one to talk to me about the harmful effects of personal vendettas."

"This has nothing to do with that. And _you're_ the one with the personal vendetta, not me." Temperance said with irritation. The sound of fading footsteps indicated that the two were moving out of range, ending the eavesdropping session.

Zack blinked. "Vendetta?"

Jack grinned at the man next to him. "I love this place. I always knew that _hùnzhàng _Seeley had his own reasons for joining _Liberty_."

Zack was not amused. "One of these days, Dr. Brennan is going to find out that we can hear conversations in the cargo hold up here. Then she'll tell me to pad the ventilation system with sound dampeners. Your fun will be all ruined after that."

"All I know is that both of 'em are hiding lots more than they let on. Conspiracies all around." Jack tossed the cup at Zack and bounded out the door. "We'll be lifting off soon, better finish off your dishes quick as possible."

"They're not my dishes." Zack replied to the thin air. Even though he'd been on _Liberty _for almost two years now, it was an unceasingly strange experience. He was used to working in solitude, surrounded by machinery and circuits. Being on _Liberty _forced him to interact with a host of people he would have never interacted with before. Computers were easy to understand, straight-forward and logical. Human-folk were much more confusing.

Putting aside the last dish, Zack left the lounge and headed to the engineering bay. There was still time for a routine spot check before takeoff; he could tell from the sounds of the engine that Jack hadn't even started the pre-flight ignition yet. Everything seemed okay-

Zack turned around suddenly, not quite sure if he was hearing right. He thought... he thought he had heard the sound of a girl giggling, echoing through the air around him. It wasn't the sound of a woman like Angela or Cam (and Zack didn't think Dr. Brennan was the type of woman to giggle at anything), but the voice of a young _girl_, which made no sense whatsoever. _This is crazy; I'm just hearing things._ He peered at the dialogs and machinery quickly, not feeling as secure in the solitude of the machinery anymore, and made his way out of the engineering bay, looking for (against his better judgement) human company.

---

Jack heard Temperance coming into the cockpit before he even saw her.

"Wow, a visitor to my humble abode. I'm honoured..." He exclaimed, turning and watching with some amusement as Temperance frowned in response to his quip. Clearly, the fight with Seeley had not put her in the best of moods. "You possibly have a destination for me to fly to now?"

She nodded tightly. "The next project is on Omastre, 'bout a four day flight from here. There's some wealthy industrialists on the Omastrean moon, so Angela's set for her business too. All I need from you is to fly straight and steady."

Jack saluted dramatically. "Ain't no problem, Temperance. I'll have us there 'fore the stink of fish gets out of your clothes."

Temperance puffed her cheeks with annoyance. "I wish you'd call me Doctor like Zack and Cam always do."

He chuckled, setting up the pre-flight check for _Liberty_. "Titles like that are gorram meaningless nomenclature designed to keep the status quo, make sure the little man stays little and the big man stays big. Things are fair and equal this way. And there ain't a man this side of the 'verse who loves bending the rules as much as I do anyway." He looked at her with a grin. "Unless I decide the most appropriate title for you would be Captain."

Temperance sighed before turning heel. "The lot of you are incorrigible."

"I certainly hope so." Jack replied, knowing she was out of earshot already.

---

"You've never been to Sihnon, Seeley? Absolutely gorgeous place. You'd like it." Cam said with a smile, fingers grasping at that necklace she always wore. "My mom bought this for me when she visited the first time, back when I was still in school. The holos she brought back were amazing."

He had lied; he _had _been to Sihnon before. And it really _was _beautiful there. But he wasn't about to tell that to any pretty thing that batted her eyes at him, least of all another scientist geek with no common sense. Well, Cam did have some sense, more than the rest of them. But scientists were scientists and Seeley knew what was the best way to deal with folk like that.

"Well, ain't much time for sight-seeing when you're a soldier." Seeley shrugged.

"Nonsense, isn't that a perk of the job? Seeing exotic new words?"

"Ain't nothin' exotic about a dried out ball of a planet that can't sustain it's own people." Seeley dead-paned. The smile on Cam's face slipped off when she realized he was being serious.

"Fair enough." The look she was giving him set him on edge, the way she looked at him like he was a patient with some physical ailment she wanted to cure. Fortunately for him, Temperance walked into the lounge at that moment to brief them, her demeanour entirely too stressed out for this early in a project. _Wouldn't be so stressed out if that boss of hers weren't on the ship, I reckon. Just another thing for her to worry about._ If Temperance didn't want to face the facts, that was fine with him. He would take care of himself and only himself when things went bad.

Except he knew that deep down inside, he wasn't really that heartless.

"We're just about ready to take off for Omastre." Temperance said, pointedly ignoring Seeley (the _hùndàn_), as she passed a data-pad to Cam. "It's an industrial planet, even though the resources are mostly used up at this point. The largest manufacturing company in the capital is called Wellwens Shipyards. They're makers of, not that we'd know, 'the best pleasure craft' in the 'verse."

"Or so they say." Cam interjected with a smirk. Seeley looked at her with surprise. "What? I've already told you, I can't help it if my parents were rich. Rather not have any bitter feelings if we're going to be watching each other's backs."

"Ain't no bitterness here, honest." Temperance said, but it was such a horrible attempt at lying that Seeley nearly laughed out loud. He knew from the few times he had talked to Angela that Temperance's life had been anything but easy. But now was not the time to push the topic. He knew a thing or two 'bout respecting people's pasts.

"Right. So, what's the problem with Wellwens?" Cam asked, reading over the data pad.

"There have been a number of workers at the shipyard who've fallen ill over the last few years. Last month a man died." Temperance looked at them knowingly. "And as we all know, makin' this a public affair's the last thing they want."

"What is it this time? They using some kind of illegal chemicals? Shady financial business?" Seeley asked, fishing a bullet from his pocket and rolling it through his fingers. The promise of another project always made him restless with energy.

Temperance shook her head. "Not sure yet, but I'm leanin' towards the dangerous and potentially illegal chemicals bit."

"Sounds like fun." Cam said, passing the data pad over to Seeley. "How much is the pay for this? I assume it's good money, Wellwens being a division of Blue Sun and all. They can afford to keep their dirty business quiet by hiring outside sources like us."

Seeley whistled, turning to Temperance and handing her back the data pad. "A Blue Sun job? How'd you luck out finding this one, Captain?"

Brennan frowned, turning to Cam. "I didn't even know Wellwens was a division of Blue Sun."

"Well, it's a recent development; Wellwens was purchased by Blue Sun 'bout three months ago. It's a good investment from a economic standpoint." Cam replied.

"Sure, just as long as that doesn't include investing in your employees. " Seeley interjected, tossing the bullet into the air before catching it and putting it back in his pocket. "Tell me when we get there, I'm gonna go prepare myself for some corporate espionage." he said, getting up from the table and heading to his quarters.

Cam watched him go before speaking to Temperance. "I heard you fighting with him earlier. What was that all about?"

Temperance sighed, griping the data pad tightly before heading back towards the crew quarters. "Ain't nothing. Everyone on this ship's entitled to their own opinion."

"Indeed..." Cam said softly, watching the woman go before heading towards the cockpit.

---

"I don't like this life, Dr. Goodman." She confessed, arms crossed over her chest. "I don't like that we help the bad guys. I don't like that there _are _no good guys."

"You've got to put processed food cubes on the table somehow, Temperance. And there _are _good guys out there. You just have to find them, make the right connection in this chaotic-"

The comm in his quarters crackled to life. "Temperance? We... have a problem."

Temperance glanced at Goodman curiously. "This is the sort of thing I expect from Zack or Jack, not Angela." She said, walking to the intercom. "What kind of problem?"

Angela paused. "A stowaway kind of problem. In the cargo hold."

"_Tiān xiǎode_!" Temperance murmured, earning a wide-eyed look from Goodman that she didn't even see as she rushed out the door.

--------------TBC--------------


End file.
